Prom 40 - 16.08.14: LSO, Tilling / Haitink

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Saturday, 16 August
6.30 p.m. – c. 8.30 p.m.
Royal Albert Hall

Schubert: Symphony No. 5 in Bb, D 485

Mahler: Symphony No. 4 in G

Camilla Tilling, soprano
London Symphony Orchestra
Bernard Haitink, conductor

The London Symphony Orchestra returns to the Proms, joined by noted Mahlerian Bernard Haitink, for the composer's Fourth Symphony. Opening with one of Mahler's most charming melodies, lit by sleigh-bells, it closes with a song offering a child's-eye view of heaven, delivered here by soprano Camilla Tilling.

Famously described as a 'pearl of great price', Schubert's Fifth Symphony presents Classical perfection on a miniature scale. This compact symphony glows with melody and is as light on its feet as anything the composer ever wrote.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Noting the resurrection of the Mahler 4 thread, we could have confusion here.

Oh, and yet another 5th symphony for the season's obsession.

[Barbirollians]

Rather extraordinary that this concert has received so little discussion . I do not know the soprano soloist . Any reports ?

[jayne lee wilson]

PROM 40, FM Ratings Part One:

SCHUBERT 5 - Sound 7/10. Performance 8/10.
Neat ensemble, slightly cool & understated, livelier Minuet & finale. Typical Haitink.
Horns & winds too prominent, obvious dynamic compression.
(Finale via HDs, clearly superior sound - 9/10.)

[Lento]

I wonder whether Haitink has recorded Schubert 5 much? I also wonder how common minor key Scherzi are in major key works, having heard Stephen Johnson's comment about a G minor Scherzo being not very common for a B flat major symphony. (Brahms Piano Trio in B major comes immediately to mind. Mahler 4 an "interesting case", I guess).


"Wir führen ein englisches Leben" (Mahler 4)

[Ein Heldenleben]

In the hall on I phone so apologies for typos. Beautifully silky string playing with fiddles split left and right. Haitink conducting with tremendous economy of gesture. The woodwind much more audible than in the Srauss last night but still lost a bit in the very full string sound . A packed arena looking forward to the. Mahler...

[ardcarp]

I am hugely impressed (Mahler 4) with the LSO sound as it emerges from my speakers. Haitink very cool and very controlled. Sop soloist just started...sounds good to me. Enjoyed the interval chat...missed the Schubert.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

In the hall on I phone so apologies for typos. Beautifully silky string playing with fiddles split left and right. Haitink conducting with tremendous economy of gesture. The woodwind much more audible than in the Srauss last night but still lost a bit in the very full string sound . A packed arena looking forward to the. Mahler...

You phone should be switched OFF.

But I suppose it's OK in the interval.

[jayne lee wilson]

PROM 40, HDs Ratings Part Two:

MAHLER 4 - Sound 10/10, Performance 9.5/10

Extraordinary Mahler 4 - exceptional playing from every orchestral section, responding to Haitink's exquisitely detailed & idiomatic direction with an ideal Mahler sound. Haitink's often measured tempi and subtle rubato produced very affectionate & atmospheric results. Perhaps a shade too quietist in the ruhevoll 3rd movement, and the soprano sounded uncomfortable. Excellent sound.

Overall: a triumph for Haitink on his own terms. But a shame about the soprano.

[johnb]

I missed the Schubert but thought Uncle Bernie's Mahler 4 was a magical and very intimate performance. I suspect that it is very difficult to find the "right" soprano for the last movement and that it is deceptively difficult for the soprano to fully realise the air of simplicity.

[cloughie]

I missed the Schubert but thought Uncle Bernie's Mahler 4 was a magical and very intimate performance. I suspect that it is very difficult to find the "right" soprano for the last movement and that it is deceptively difficult for the soprano to fully realise the air of simplicity.

That 6.30 start! - whoever thought of that?

[pastoralguy]

That 6.30 start! - whoever thought of that?

I would like to have heard Schubert 5 but I missed it!

Ah well...

[Ferretfancy]

That 6.30 start! - whoever thought of that?

If there is to be a late Prom, it's necessary to have a 6.30 start. As it is, tonight's late concert was scheduled to finish at 11.30, late enough for some people to have difficulty getting home. After the first concert finishes, there has to be adequate time for the audience to leave, allowing an interval to re-set the stage etc. Prommers usually have half an hour or so to wait outside before taking their places again in the hall.

It was a wonderful concert tonight, perfect Schubert playing and a mesmerising performance of the Mahler. It was spacious, certainly, and I did wonder whether some listeners at home might have found parts of it a little slow, but in the hall the concentration was complete and a packed audience was virtually silent.
Camilla Tilling captured Mahler's requirement for a young and innocent sounding voice in the finale without seeming coy as some can do in this symphony.

[cloughie]

If there is to be a late Prom, it's necessary to have a 6.30 start. As it is, tonight's late concert was scheduled to finish at 11.30, late enough for some people to have difficulty getting home. After the first concert finishes, there has to be adequate time for the audience to leave, allowing an interval to re-set the stage etc. Prommers usually have half an hour or so to wait outside before taking their places again in the hall.

It was a wonderful concert tonight, perfect Schubert playing and a mesmerising performance of the Mahler. It was spacious, certainly, and I did wonder whether some listeners at home might have found parts of it a little slow, but in the hall the concentration was complete and a packed audience was virtually silent.
Camilla Tilling captured Mahler's requirement for a young and innocent sounding voice in the finale without seeming coy as some can do in this symphony.

Surely 7.00pm is early enough - it's another annoying 21st century thing - like shifting the ko of the Cup Final!

[Ein Heldenleben]

You phone should be switched OFF.

But I suppose it's OK in the interval.

In fact I was posting from the arena bar over a pint of Spitfire at half time . I would agree it doesn't feel quite right texting / messaging / posting from the holy of holies - maybe even during the interval .
Some absolutely ravishing playing from all in the LSO -and, thanks to Mahler's orchestration , plenty of woodwind detail this evening. Rightly the winds had a group bow tonight. Sir Bernard's conducting was a lesson to watch -not just flatly cueing in instruments but always very sensitive to the musical effect he wants to achieve - for example almost seeming to want to reach out and delicately pluck the harps himself at one point .
My companion thought the first movement too slow . I would say relaxed or meditative. The soprano , though she had a beautiful voice , was perhaps a little under powered for the Hall. But overall a lovely performance.